How to Enable Android 9.0 Pie's New Manual Dark Theme on Your Google Pixel

By Dallas Thomas

Jul 2, 2018 07:15 PM

Aug 6, 2018 11:17 PM

OS Tips & Tricks

Enable Dark Mode in Your Favorite Apps

Android 9

Android 9.0 Pie is now available to install on Google's own Pixel devices and a select few other phones. In the new release, there's a fairly hidden setting that lets you enable a system-wide dark theme that changes the look of your Quick Settings panel and other menus.

It's similar to the automatic system theme that was introduced in Android 8.1 Oreo, except you no longer have to use a black or dark wallpaper to trigger it. Instead, you can manually choose a light theme, dark theme, or the existing automatic theme.

To try it out, make sure you're running the latest version of Android Pie, then head to your phone's main Settings menu and tap "Display." From there, hit "Advanced" to expand several more options. At the bottom of these is "Device" theme — tap this, then choose either the "Automatic," "Light," or "Dark" theme.

The Settings menu won't change colors, nor will any of your apps. But there are still plenty of places where the dark theme applies. Check them out below!